The Swedish Foreign Ministry announced today, Friday, the temporary relocation of staff from the Swedish embassy in Baghdad to Stockholm for security reasons, according to the Swedish news agency (TT). Foreign Minister Tobias Billström described the storming of the embassy in Baghdad as "totally unacceptable" and stated that the government "strongly condemns these attacks." Iraq expelled the Swedish ambassador in protest against plans to burn a copy of the Quran in Stockholm, which led hundreds of protesters to storm the Swedish embassy in Baghdad and set it on fire.
For its part, the Qatari Foreign Ministry summoned the Swedish ambassador to deliver a note of protest against the "attack on the Quran" in Stockholm. The ministry confirmed in a statement that it would demand the Swedish authorities to take "all necessary measures to stop these disgraceful practices."
Lebanon's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Emigrants expressed "the Lebanese people's astonishment at what Lebanon symbolizes as a model for coexistence among religions and cultures, and their condemnation of the repeated allowance to insult the Holy Quran in Stockholm, which constitutes a continuous violation of Muslims' feelings and dignity." The ministry called on the Swedish authorities in a statement to take appropriate measures to put an end to all that could deepen feelings of hatred and Islamophobia, and racism in all its forms, and to incite violence and insult religions. The ministry also condemned the burning of the Iraqi flag during the demonstration in Stockholm and called for accountability without hesitation, alongside its condemnation of the attack on the Swedish embassy in Baghdad. Furthermore, it praised "the Iraqi government's stance rejecting this attack and its determination to hold those responsible accountable." The ministry welcomed "any international effort to enact legislation prohibiting the insult of religious symbols and sanctities." Separately, a force from the Commando Brigade was deployed at the entrances of the Swedish embassy in Beirut, and measures were intensified around the ambassador's residence. Protests were organized in front of mosques in Beirut, the southern suburb, and other areas condemning the insult to the Quran in Sweden.
Turkey's Justice Minister Yılmaz Tunç indicated that his country has issued arrest warrants for Danish politician Rasmus Paludan and nine others suspected of burning a copy of the Quran outside the Turkish embassy in Stockholm in January. Tunç stated, "The Public Prosecutor's Office has called for comprehensive investigations to identify the suspects and gather clear information about their identities and evidence of their criminal acts."
Egypt condemned in the strongest terms, in a statement issued by its Foreign Ministry, the Swedish authorities' allowance for the repeated desecration and tearing of the Holy Quran in Stockholm. The statement noted that these incidents are "a blatant challenge that exceeds the limits of freedom of expression and provokes the feelings of millions of Muslims around the world, violating their sanctities." Egypt expressed deep concern over the repeated incidents of "religious contempt, the spread of Islamophobia, and the elevation of hate speech in many countries." It emphasized that "countries must fulfill their responsibilities in combating these crimes and preventing their recurrence and holding their perpetrators accountable, and the importance of respecting international obligations to promote peaceful coexistence and social harmony and to foster a culture of tolerance and acceptance of others."
Britain condemned in a statement the attack on the Swedish embassy in Baghdad due to plans to burn the Quran in Stockholm and welcomed the Iraqi government's determination to take action against those responsible for the incident. Anti-Islam protesters had applied to burn the Quran outside the Iraqi embassy yesterday, Thursday, and obtained permission from the Swedish police to do so. Among them was an Iraqi migrant in Sweden who burned a copy of the Quran outside a mosque in Stockholm in June.
